The budget pledged $140 million over three years to prepare for the digital television switch-over in 2013. The funds will go to advertising, industry consultation, and in-home assistance for eligible people including pensioners and war veterans. Mildura, Victoria, will be the first town in Australia to switched to digital early next year.

The ABC received $15.3 million to build 50 new local regional broadband hubs over the next three years to promote user-generated content including community Web sites, "virtual town squares" and cross-media content. The funds, and an additional $2.5 million, will provide for national broadcast training and equipment.

The ABC and SBS will receive ongoing operational base funds of $2.1 billion and $362.6 million to 2012 respectively, with an additional $546 million and $249 million in transmission funds. The digital switch over is expected to save $11.4 million from the closure of the broadcasters' analogue signals.

An additional $185.3 million was allocated to the national broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, for the production of local Australian children and drama television programs.

The government will honour its election commitments to increase funding for additional digital TV transmission towers in regional Adelaide, Victoria, and on King Island.